65 years and over: 4.6% (male 146,956/female 153,776)
Race/Ethnicity/Religion
97% is of Arab ancestry
nomadic herders called Tuaregs
Official religion is Islam
97% are Sunni Muslims
Other Muslim groups are Sanusis, Ibadhis, Sufis, Sharifs, and marabouts
Geography
The fourth largest country in Africa
Area of 679,362 square miles
Larger than Alaska and Minnesota combined
Sahara Desert - covers 90 percent of the country.
The landscape includes beaches, sand dune–filled deserts, oases, rocky hills, and mountains.
Economy
Because of Libya’s oil, Africa transformed into one of the wealthiest nations.
Imports
two-thirds of all food is imported
Exports
Natural gas
Fruits
Vegetables
Grains
Cattles
Jobs-Percentage of people holding different types of jobs
English and computer skills are necessary for many jobs
Some Libyans are illiterate
30% of Libya is unemployed
7.4% of the population is below the poverty line
1.82 million are on the labor force.
GDP compared to the U.S. - what does this comparison tell us about the country?
More than one third of Libya’s GDP comes from crude oil and refined petroleum products
GDP (PPP) per capita: $14,000
U.S. GDP per capita: $48,147
Political Structure: The government status is currently in transition. The election date is not decided.
Part II: History
Muammar Qaddafi took office 2 March 1979
Military conflicts with Uganda
In February 2011, large-scale rebellions broke out, calling for Qaddafi to step down
He left office on 23 August 2011
Gaddafi died in October 2011
Part III: Legitimacy of the Current Leader & Government
Five Purposes of Government
How well are they being fulfilled?
Evidence to Support
Maintain Order
He did maintain orders because he didn’t let riots spread and he took action as soon as possible.
“Gaddafi used repressive measures, using his personalRevolutionary Guard Corps to crush riots and Islamist activism during the 1990s”
Protecting Individuals' Rights
Individual rights meant nothing to Gaddafi, he only cared about what best suited him.
"He abolished the Libyan Constitution of 1951, and adopted laws based on his own ideas."
Providing Public Services
Gaddafi didn’t spend much of his effort on public services such as hospitals. Also he didn’t provide public transportation so that made it hard for a lot of kids to attend school.
“Libyans receive free medical care, but many facilities, particularly in rural areas, lack basic supplies.” “Public facilities are better in major cities, where hospitals are linked to medical schools. “ “Children in remote areas don't always attend school, because of transportation difficulties”
Providing a National Defense
Gaddafi had a good national defense because it protected the people and he didn’t use it for himself. It was also the military that helped bring him down so it shows that the military was protecting the people.
“NFSL launched a wide campaign to topple Gaddafi in Libya, establishing ashort-wave radio station, a commando military training camp and also published a bi-monthly newsletter, Al Inqadh (Salvation)”
Making Economic Decisions
Gaddafi made good economic decisions for the people because he found a way to make the country one of the most richest countries in the world.
“The discovery of the oil andnatural gas reserves in the country in 1959 led to the transformation of Libya's economy from a poor country to (then) Africa's richest. Libya was one of the wealthiest countries in the world”
Rank:
1. Making Economic Decisions
2. Providing a National Defense
3. Maintain Order
4. Providing Public services
5. Protecting Individual Rights Part IV: Snapshot of the Current Uprising
Who revolted?What did most of the people who came together to revolt had in common? Class? Race or ethnicity? Religion? Political affiliation? Type of job? Or was it the people as a whole
The citizens who wanted Muammar Gaddafi out of control were the ones who revolted.
Why did they revolt? Why were the people unhappy with their government? Why did they believe that revolution was the only way to make the change they wanted?
They revolted because they felt they didn't have enough freedom.
How did they organize? Was the revolution planned for a long time? Was it spontaneous? How did people find out about the revolution? Were there leaders who did the organizing?
Al Jazeera started a message on the internet that they should all protest on February 17, 2011. Also the Voice of Free Libya began broadcasting throughout Libya to try to gather as many protesters as they could. They played an important role in the Libyan civil war.
How did the people overthrow the government? Did they take over government buildings? Did they assassinate leaders? Did they engage in peaceful demonstrations? Did they have the support of the military? Did they engage in acts of warfare?
The International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Qaddafi on charges of crimes against human.
How did the government respond?Did the leaders peacefully give into the people’s demands? If so, how long did it take for them to give in? Did they fire back using military force?How was the government same or different following the revolution?What type of government emerged after the revolution? Why?
The government got all their military forces and started killing the protesters.
How was the government same or different following the revolution?What type of government emerged after the revolution? Why?
Ever since Gaddafi’s death, Libya doesn’t have a government anymore. They lack effective police, prosecutors, courts, and presidents.
Kelly Polen
Silvana Naka
Josh Pitts
Part 1: A look at the Nation
Demographics- a snapshot of the people
Geography
Part II: History
Part III: Legitimacy of the Current Leader & Government
“Public facilities are better in major cities, where hospitals are linked to medical schools. “
“Children in remote areas don't always attend school, because of transportation difficulties”
Rank:
1. Making Economic Decisions
2. Providing a National Defense
3. Maintain Order
4. Providing Public services
5. Protecting Individual Rights
Part IV: Snapshot of the Current Uprising
Who revolted?What did most of the people who came together to revolt had in common? Class? Race or ethnicity? Religion? Political affiliation? Type of job? Or was it the people as a whole
Why did they revolt? Why were the people unhappy with their government? Why did they believe that revolution was the only way to make the change they wanted?
How did they organize? Was the revolution planned for a long time? Was it spontaneous? How did people find out about the revolution? Were there leaders who did the organizing?
How did the people overthrow the government? Did they take over government buildings? Did they assassinate leaders? Did they engage in peaceful demonstrations? Did they have the support of the military? Did they engage in acts of warfare?
How did the government respond?Did the leaders peacefully give into the people’s demands? If so, how long did it take for them to give in? Did they fire back using military force?How was the government same or different following the revolution?What type of government emerged after the revolution? Why?
Works Cited
"Libya â Revolution and Aftermath." Libya News. New York Times, 13 Apr. 2012. Web. 13 Apr. 2012. <http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/international/countriesandterritories/libya/index.html?scp=1-spot>.
"Libya." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 13 Apr. 2012. Web. 13 Apr. 2012. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Libya>.
"Subscriber Area Only." CultureGrams Online Database:. ProQuest. Web. 13 Apr. 2012. <http://online.culturegrams.com/world/world_country.php?contid=1>.